Television: Viewable Alternatives

Educational TV, once sobersided, is offering the brightest addition to
this year's midseason schedule. Three programs from the Public
Broadcasting Service are somewhat flawed but highly viewable
alternatives to commercial TV's flavorless pap.

The Great American Dream Machine is the most ambitious series since they
turned off the electricity at the old Public Broadcasting Laboratory in
1969. The show, produced by NET, combines elements of the CBS
newsmagazine 60 Minutes and NBC's Laugh-In, with a useful admixture of
iconoclasm. It goes those shows some better by eliminating the anchor
men and hosts. Instead,...